Karekezi staying at Hamarkameratene

Olivier Karekezi has confirmed he will stay with Norwegian second division club Hamarkameratene after a failed transfer move to other European clubs during the January transfer window. The Amavubi Stars captain told Sunday Sport yesterday that he will stay at Ham Kam for the rest of the season after the club blocked his move to Rosenberg and Germany side FC Energie Cottbus.

Sunday, February 08, 2009
Amavubi skipper Olivier Karekezi.

Olivier Karekezi has confirmed he will stay with Norwegian second division club Hamarkameratene after a failed transfer move to other European clubs during the January transfer window.

The Amavubi Stars captain told Sunday Sport yesterday that he will stay at Ham Kam for the rest of the season after the club blocked his move to Rosenberg and Germany side FC Energie Cottbus.

"I have tried my best to force my transfer to another club in Norway and Germany but Ham Kam has blocked any possible move.”

"Ham Kam manager (Arne Erlandsen) is the one who proposed Ham Kam to sign me from Helsingborg and he is not willing to let me to leave, and there is nothing that I can do to make him change his decision,” Karekezi said, adding that it would sound indiscipline if he went on strike, a feat which he fears would hinder his career.

The former APR star also revealed that he got some offers from Qatar which Ham Kam turned down but vowed to find his way out after the Adeccoligaen league which gets underway on February 14.

Adeccoligaen is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Karekezi’s contract with Ham Kam expires in June next year.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder who can also play as a forward, signed for Helsingborgs in 2005 from APR Fc, and scored five goals in 18 matches during that season.

In 2006, he scored 11 goals for Helsingborg and thereby became their top scorer in the league.

In January 2008 he transferred to Hamarkameratene and scored five goals but his services never helped the club to survive relegation.

As skipper, Karekezi has guided Amavubi Stars to the third round of the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers and he was in the squad which represented Rwanda at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

Rosenberg (Norway) and Energie Cottbus (Germany) were the two clubs that showed real interest in the Rwandan international before the end of last season.

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